Sequence safety switch for elevators



1537 97? H. WATERS v SEQUENCE SAFETY SWITCH FOR ELEVATORS Filad Sept. .1, 1922 gvwemto'c W1 304:2 A28 Git/tow [i hatchway door, whichever is open, or if both are open, and both be moved to be closed Patented May 19, 1925.

UNITED=STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD WATERS, YONKERS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO OTIS ELEVATOR COM- IPANY, JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

SEQUENCE SAFETY SWITCH FOR ELEVATORS.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HAROLD WATERS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sequence Safety Switches for Elevators, of which the followin is a specification. y invention is directed more partlcul0 larly to an electrically controlled elevator,

wherein the elevator is provided with means, such as an operating switch, for controlling its operation, and where the car is provided with a door actuated electric control mechanism which involves door contact switches a safety device or appliance applied to the operating switch of the car, designed and intended to form an integral part thereof, that will prevent the operation of the elevator other than as predetermined, as for instance, by first moving the operating switch to an operative position and starting the car while the gate or door is not closed, or at such other time as when both the ate and door are not closed, and first moving the switch to an operative position,

and starting the car by closing the gate or to start the car.

- Another object obtained by my invention is to provide for safety in the instance where g the operating switch is moved to its operative position and there is found to be no hoisting power on at the time of its bein 40 moved, but subsequently the power is turne on, with my invention the car will not start until the o crating switch has been first brought bac to its ofi or neutral position and thenimoved again from there to-an operative position; also in the instance when the operating switch has been moved to an operative position and the car is operating as a result, should the power fail at such a time, causing the car -to stop and subseuently the power is turned on again, and that during the'time there was no power, and the stopping of the car, the operating switch was held in an operative position, the car cannot be further operated notwith-v standing there is power again and the op- 1, 1922. Serial No. 585,618.

crating switch is still in an operative position: but on the contrary the operating switch has tobe first brought back to its off or neutral position and then be moved to an operative position if itis desired to continue the operation of the car.

Referring to the drawing wherein my invention is illustratively disclosed and which accompanies this specification, an elevator car G is suspended from one end of the hoisting cable 1, which runs over a driving sheave 2, secured to a shaft 3, of a motor M. The usual counterweight, owt, is secured to the opposite end of the cable.

There are electromagnetically operated reversing switches, Rand R, to control the motor M; the switch R controls the motor for descending direction "of car travel, and the switch R for ascending direction of travel. The operating means for operating the elevator is designated A. An electrical contact, consisting of a copper segment B, is insulated from, but mounted on, the car gate D, and another electrical insulated contact E is mounted on the side of the car C. These contacts are adapted to be brought together in electrical contact with each other when the car gate D is closed. There is also an electrical contact, consisting of a co per segment F, insulated from, but mounte on the hatchway doors G, and another electrical contact H mounted on a side of the hatchway. These contacts are brought together in contact with each other when the hatchway door G is closed. The contacts when brought together are in an electrical control or operating circuit to the hoisting motor M. When the contacts are closed against each other the control circuit to the hoisting motor M can be closed by operating the operating car switch A in a direction either to the left or right, depending upon which direction of car travel is wanted. When the contacts are separated from each other, their separation serves to open the control circuit for the hoisting motor and it cannot be closed until and unless the contacts are closed, and, consequently, the elevator car C cannot be started away from a landing until and unless they are closed.

The car operating switch A comprises a casing 4, and contains the usual form of contacts such as 5, 5', 5", 6, 6' and 6". A contact segment 7 is suitably connected at 8 to a manually operable switch lever 9. The

segment is adapted when rocked by the lever 9 in a direction to the right successively to engage the contacts 5 5", and when rocked in the reverse direction by the lever to engage successively the contacts 6, 6". 'The segment when in its neutral position engages contacts 5 andfi, the latter being electrically connected by a wire common to both of them.

Referring now to the particular feature of the present invention, it consists in the rovision of an electromagnet 10 having a WlIlding 11, and a movable armature 12 having a contact 13, adapted to close with a corresponding stationary contact 14 when the armature is in juxtaposition with its magnet. The armature 12 is loosely journaled at 15 to the casing of the operating switch and at its middle there is loosely journaled a link 16 which is also loosely journaled to one end of a rod 17 that is adapted to be moved up and down in a guide 18 fastened also to the operating switch, and at the other end of the rod 17 there is fastened a roller 19 adapted to contact with a cam 20 securely fastened to the segment 7 and the operating lever 9 of the operating switch. A spring 21 in the guide 18 and also encompassing the rod 17 and held in place thereon bya pin 22 is adapted to move the rod up and the armature 12 affixed thereto from its electromagnet when the electromagnet is not energized and the switch lever 9 has moved the cam from engagement with the roller 19 on the rod 17 by the lever being moved to an operative position for starting the car.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows, assuming an operation of the elevator car C from the floor at which it is now stopped to the floor above and that the switch lever 9 is moved to the rightfor the desired operation. The contact 5' is the first contact closed by the segment 7 with contact 5, and with normal operation, i. e., when the car gate and the hatchway doors are closed, current is fed from the plus main, by wire 23, junction point 24, by wire 25, through the winding 11, by wire 26, contact 5', segment 7. contact 5, the common wire 27, contact 6, by wire 28, through the contact 13 of the armature 12, the stationary contact 14, by wire 29, contact E and segment B, by wire 30, contact H and segment F of the landing and door respectively of the floor landing at which the car O is now at rest, by wire 31. contact H and segment F of the landing and door respectively of the floor above, by wire 32. to the minus main. The circuit just closed caused the electromagnet 10 to become energized which as'a result holds its armature 12 to it against the action of the spring 21 to pull it away. The contact 5" is the succeeding contact closed with the contact 5 by the segment 7 when the switch lever 9 is moved further to the right. This establishes a circuit to the winding 33 of the up-reversing switch R for it to close its contacts which closes the cir-l cuit to the motor M for it to operate. It is thought unnecessary to trace out the circuit to the winding 33 of the reversing switch R. Now assuming that an attempt is made to operate the car C under improper conditions, that is, with either the car gate I) open or the floor landing door Gr open. It is obvious from the foregoing that should either the gate or a door be open the circuit to the electroma net 10 and to either reversing switch R or cannot be closed by moving the operating lever 9 of the switch A to an operative position; that under such a condition and the switch lever 9 moved to an operative position to start the car, the spring 21 will move the rod 17 up and the armature affixed to it away from its electromagnet 10, separating the contact 13 from the contact 14. It is also obvious from the foregoing that with the switch lever held in an operative position and the car gate or floor landing door that is opened be moved to be closed, the car will not start by such a way; the switch lever 9 must be first brought to its neutral or off position, and then if it is desired to start the car, the switch lever 9 may be moved to-an operative position and with the car gate D and floor landing doors G now closed the electromagnet 10 will be energized as told heretofore holding its armature 12 to it and the contact 13' to the contact 14 closed. In the instance when the power fails while the car is operating and the switch lever 9 is in an operative position. the car will stop, of course, there being no current to energize the electromagnet 10, the spring 21 will lift the armature 12 from it and separate the contact 13 from its corresponding contact 14. Should the power be again turned on and the lever 9 is still held in an operative position, the car will not start: it is necessary to return the lever 9 to its oil or neutral position. The cam 20 affixed' to the lever will return the armature 12 to its electromagnet through the intermediation of the rod 17 and the rollervl9 that the cam contacts with, and thereby cause the contact 13 on the armature to engage its corresponding contact 14. If the lever 9 is now moved to a position to start the car so that the segment 7 thereon engages contact 5 with contact 5' or 6', the circuit to the winding 11'of the electroma netlO will be closed and the winding wi energize the electromagnet which will hold its armature 12 to it and the armature the contact 13 thereon closed with the contact 14. Moving the lever 9 so that the cm 7 engages contacts 5 and 5' or 6', will close the circuit to the desired reversing switch for the desired direction of travel. One skilled in the art may make obvious changes without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and I wish therefore not to be limited to the precise arrangement of parts herein illustrated.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In the art of safety switch mechanisms for electric car switch lever operated elevators provided with a car and hatchway door-actuated electric contacts control mechanism, and electromagnetically operated reversing switches for the operation of the elevator in opposite directions, comprising a movable armature having an electrlcal contact thereon, an electrical contact that the armature electrical contact is adapted to close with, and an electromagnet adapted to attract said armature to close said contacts, said contacts and magnet adapted to be included in the circuit with the contacts of the car gate and hatchway doors control mechanism, and a second electrical circuit adapted to be closed by the car switch lever and including the winding of one reversing switch at a time, said armature and hatchway doors contacts adapted to be closed for operating said reversing switch to permit the hoisting motor to operate the elevator.

2. In the art of safety switch mechanism for electric elevators provided with a levercar switch and a door-actuated electric control mechanism adapted when the door is closed to control the circuit to the elevator motor, an electromagnetically operable switch, adapted to control said circuit also when the door is closed, and the car switch lever is in on position, and means to open said electromagnetically operated switch upon the deenergization of the magnet, whereby if during the running operation of the elevator the current supply to the motor is cut off and then restored the elevator will not resume its movement unless the car switch lever is first brought back to center.

3. In the art of safety operation of electric elevators having a car operating switch, means to prevent, should the operating pow er fail during the running of the elevator, continuing the operation of the elevator if the power is agaln turned on unless the car operating switch is first restored to its neutral or off position.

4. In the art of safety operation of electric elevators, a car operating lever switch,

an armature having an electrical contact, and another electrical contact, said contacts controlling the current of the car switch, an electromagnet adapted in the operative osition of the car switch to be energize by current derived from the operating power for the elevator and hold said contacts closed, and a spring adapted in case of no power or upon the failure, and the deenergization of the magnet to open said contacts whereby if the car switch is in on position,

and there be no power or it fail, and the car switch be left in its on position, and power be restored, the elevator cannot be operated until the car switch be first restored to its off position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HAROLD WATERS. 

